Record fish caught in Montana

Written by:
October 21, 2022
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Record fish caught in Montana

Anglers the world over gather regularly for fishing derbies to see who can land the biggest catch. But record-breaking fish can be caught at anytime, weighed on an International Game Fish Association-certified scale at any number of tackle shops or marinas, and compared to the IGFA's online records database. Sport-fishing enthusiasts can even have their own scales certified by the IGFA for a $40 fee.

Stacker compiled a list of record fish caught in Montana using data from Land Big Fish. Fish pictured are not the actual record catch. Keep reading to see which bodies of water in your state hold some of the most massive fish around.

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Matt Jeppson // Shutterstock

Arctic Grayling

- Weight: 3 lbs
- Length: 20"
- Location: Washtub Lake
- Record set by Glenn Owens in 2003
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Alus164 // Wikimedia Commons

Bigmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 57 lbs 12 oz
- Length: 40.7"
- Location: Nelson Reservoir
- Record set by Craig D. Grassel in 1994
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Black Bullhead

- Weight: 2 lbs 9.6 oz
- Length: 14.37"
- Location: Flathead River
- Record set by Birrell in 2009
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Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

Black Crappie

- Weight: 3 lbs 2.08 oz
- Length: 16.7"
- Location: Tongue River Reservoir
- Record set by Al Elser in 1973
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USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Spencer Neuharth / USFWS // Wikimedia Commons

Blue Sucker

- Weight: 11 lbs 7.36 oz
- Length: 29.75"
- Location: Yellowstone River - Miles City
- Record set by Doug Askin in 1989
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dcwcreations // Shutterstock

Bluegill Sunfish

- Weight: 2 lbs 10.24 oz
- Length: 11"
- Location: Petersons Stock Dam
- Record set by Brent Fladmo in 1983
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slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

Brook Trout

- Weight: 9 lbs 0.96 oz
- Location: Lower Two Medicine Lake
- Record set by John R. Cook in 1940
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Brown Trout

- Weight: 29 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Wade Lake
- Record set by E.H. Peck Bacon in 1966
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Neon_TI // Shutterstock

Burbot

- Weight: 17 lbs 1.28 oz
- Length: 39"
- Location: Missouri River - Wolf Point
- Record set by Jeff E. Iwen in 1989
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Carp

- Weight: 40 lbs 3.2 oz
- Length: 38"
- Location: Nelson Reservoir
- Record set by Jared S. Albus in 1998
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Aleron Val // Shutterstock

Channel Catfish

- Weight: 37 lbs 9.6 oz
- Length: 37.6"
- Location: Castle Rock Lake
- Record set by Jessey Perry in 2009
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Kevin Cass // Shutterstock

Chinook (King) Salmon

- Weight: 31 lbs 2.08 oz
- Length: 38"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir
- Record set by Carl L. Niles in 1991
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Michaela Holubova // Shutterstock

Cisco

- Weight: 1 lbs 12 oz
- Length: 17.25"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir - below powerhouse
- Record set by Curt Zimmerman in 1991
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Troutnut // Shutterstock

Coho Salmon

- Weight: 4 lbs 14.08 oz
- Length: 25.5"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir - face of dam
- Record set by Irven F. Stohl in 1973
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Cutthroat Trout

- Weight: 16 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Red Eagle Lake
- Record set by William D. Sands in 1955
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Dolly Varden Trout

- Weight: 25 lbs 10.08 oz
- Length: 37"
- Location: not available
- Record set by James Hyer in 1916
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Roxana Gonzalez // Shutterstock

Freshwater Drum

- Weight: 21 lbs
- Length: 29.5"
- Location: Fort Peck- Ghost Coulee
- Record set by Matt Washut in 2003
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Golden Trout

- Weight: 5 lbs 6.88 oz
- Length: 23.5"
- Location: Cave Lake
- Record set by Mike Malixi in 2000
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USFWS Mountain-Prairie // Wikimedia Commons

Goldeye

- Weight: 3 lbs 2.88 oz
- Location: Nelson Reservoir
- Record set by Don Nevrivy in 2000
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M Huston // Shutterstock

Green Sunfish

- Weight: 0 lbs 13.44 oz
- Length: 9.0"
- Location: Castle Rock Lake
- Record set by Bette Schmieding in 2009
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Ryan Cuddy // Shutterstock

Kokanee Salmon

- Weight: 7 lbs 8 oz
- Length: 26.8"
- Location: Hauser Lake
- Record set by John Bomar in 2003
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Pi-Lens // Shutterstock

Lake Trout

- Weight: 42 lbs 7 oz
- Length: 42.5"
- Location: Flathead Lake
- Record set by Ruth Barber in 2004
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Piotr Wawrzyniuk // Shutterstock

Lake Whitefish

- Weight: 10 lbs 7.36 oz
- Length: 27"
- Location: Flathead Lake
- Record set by Swan T. McDonald V in 2006
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Pierre Rebollar // Shutterstock

Largemouth Bass

- Weight: 8 lbs 12.8 oz
- Length: 22.5"
- Location: Noxon Rapids Reservoir
- Record set by Darin Williams in 2009
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service // Wikimedia Commons

Longnose Sucker

- Weight: 3 lbs 4.32 oz
- Location: Marias River - Loma
- Record set by Ray Quigley in 1988
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Cannon Colegrove // Shutterstock

Mountain Whitefish

- Weight: 5 lbs 1.76 oz
- Length: 23"
- Location: Hauser Reservoir
- Record set by Walt Goodman in 2007
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FedBul // Shutterstock

Northern Pike

- Weight: 37 lbs 8 oz
- Location: Tongue River Reservoir
- Record set by Lance Moyer in 1972
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Saran Jantraurai // Shutterstock

Paddlefish

- Weight: 142 lbs 8 oz
- Length: 77"
- Location: Missouri River - near Kipp Park
- Record set by Larry Branstetter in 1973
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Glass and Nature // Shutterstock

Pumpkinseed Sunfish

- Weight: 0 lbs 15.36 oz
- Location: Upper Thompson Lake
- Record set by Nathan Bache in 2006
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Rainbow Trout

- Weight: 33 lbs 1.6 oz
- Length: 38.62"
- Location: Kootenai River - David Thompson Bridge
- Record set by Jack G. Housel Jr. in 1997
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Duane Raver // Wikimedia Commons

River Carpsucker

- Weight: 6 lbs 15.2 oz
- Length: 24"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir
- Record set by Brady Miller in 2008
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Steve Brigman // Shutterstock

Rock Bass

- Weight: 0 lbs 13.12 oz
- Length: 9.88"
- Location: Lower Crazy Head Springs Reservoir
- Record set by Lance Dennis in 2010
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Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

Sauger

- Weight: 8 lbs 12.8 oz
- Length: 28.2"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir
- Record set by Gene Moore in 1994
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RLS Photo // Shutterstock

Saugeye

- Weight: 15 lbs 10.56 oz
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir - Squaw Creek
- Record set by Myron Kibler in 1995
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Smithsonian Environmental Research Center // Wikimedia Commons

Shorthead Redhorse

- Weight: 4 lbs 10.88 oz
- Length: 20.25"
- Location: Marias River - near Loma
- Record set by Ray Quigley in 1985
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GUNAWAN SIDIK // Shutterstock

Shortnose Gar

- Weight: 7 lbs 2 oz
- Length: 34"
- Location: Fort Peck Dredge Cuts
- Record set by Ron Gulbertson in 2003
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Andrea Izzotti // Shutterstock

Shovelnose Sturgeon

- Weight: 14 lbs 2 oz
- Length: 39.75"
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Chad Buck in 2010
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Smallmouth Bass

- Weight: 6 lbs 6.4 oz
- Length: 21.25"
- Location: Flathead River
- Record set by Ken Riska in 2000
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Smallmouth Bass

- Weight: 6 lbs 6. oz
- Length: 21"
- Location: Fort Peck Reservoir
- Record set by Mike Otten in 2002
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Ohio DNR // Wikimedia Commons

Smallmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 38 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 38"
- Location: Nelson Reservoir
- Record set by Brady Miller in 2007
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Jennifer de Graaf // Shutterstock

Tiger Muskellunge

- Weight: 31 lbs 4.8 oz
- Length: 49"
- Location: Deadman's Basin Reservoir
- Record set by Dan Weil in 2011
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Matt Jeppson // Shutterstock

Tiger Trout

- Weight: 4 lbs 0.64 oz
- Length: 20.6"
- Location: Bear Lake
- Record set by Joe Sobczak in 1997
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wwwarjag //Shutterstock

Walleye

- Weight: 17 lbs 12 oz
- Length: 35"
- Location: Tiber Reservoir
- Record set by Robert Bob Hart in 2007
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Apostrophe // Shutterstock

White Bass

- Weight: 2 lbs 12.8 oz
- Length: 17"
- Location: Missouri River - south of Bainville
- Record set by Vernon Pacovsky in 2007
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Jennifer White Maxwell // Shutterstock

White Crappie

- Weight: 3 lbs 10.88 oz
- Length: 18.5"
- Location: Tongue River
- Record set by Gene Bassett in 1996
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RLS Photo // Shutterstock

White Sucker

- Weight: 5 lbs 5.28 oz
- Length: 21.625"
- Location: Nelson Reservoir
- Record set by Fred Perry in 1983
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jpreat // Shutterstock

Yellow Bullhead

- Weight: 1 lbs 0.32 oz
- Length: 11.6"
- Location: Yellowstone River
- Record set by Samuel Shelton in 2012
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John Piekos // Shutterstock

Yellow Perch

- Weight: 2 lbs 6.24 oz
- Length: 14.375"
- Location: Ashley Lake
- Record set by Josh Emmert in 2006

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